10+ Best Ahrefs alternatives for 2025 (Free & paid tools tested)

Ahrefs is one of the most popular SEO tools out there, and for good reason. With a massive dataset of 28.7 billion keywords and over 380 billion indexed pages, it easily ranks among the best in SEO link building software.

However, like other SEO specialists, I can see its downsides: mainly its high pricing, limited data access on lower plans, and a credit system that can feel restrictive.

If you’re looking for budget-friendly Ahrefs alternatives that still deliver strong data, flexibility, and value, you’re in the right place. Let’s explore the best options together.

Why look for an Ahrefs alternative?

Let’s be honest: Ahrefs is still one of the most powerful SEO platforms out there. Its backlink database is massive, keyword data is highly reliable, and its interface has smoothened out over the years. For many SEO professionals, it’s been the gold standard for technical audits and link research.

But if you’re reading this, you probably already know its biggest drawbacks.

1. The first one is pricing. Ahrefs is great, but it’s also one of the most expensive tools on the market (and the cost keeps climbing as you scale projects or add users). Even basic features like extra seats or additional reports are billed as add-ons.
2. Then there’s the credit system, which many SEOs (myself included) find restrictive. You can burn through credits quickly, especially if you’re analyzing large domains or running multiple reports in a day. It’s not ideal when you just want to explore data freely without worrying about usage limits.
3. Finally, data access has become more limited. Ahrefs has enabled tracking of the top 100 results only in Rank Tracker and Keyword Explorer for all plans. Site Explorer has not yet fully restored top 100 data.

So while Ahrefs remains an incredible SEO tool, many marketers are now looking for alternatives that offer more flexibility, transparent pricing, and fewer restrictions without sacrificing accuracy or depth.

Best Ahrefs alternatives to try in 2025

To hand-pick the best alternatives to Ahrefs, I evaluated multiple popular SEO tools, paying attention to their functional capabilities, user feedback on popular review platforms, and pricing plans. Here come the winners. 

• SE Ranking
• SpyFu
• Semrush
• Majestic
• Similarweb
• Search Atlas
• Moz
• Mangools
• Buzzsumo
• Surfer SEO
• Google Tools
• Screaming Frog
• SEO Powersuite

Each tool offers a different set of features and pricing, so you can find the one that best fits your SEO needs.

1. SE Ranking

As someone who regularly evaluates SEO suites, I consider SE Ranking to be the best alternative to Ahrefs for anyone looking for a balance between features and budget. But it’s not just the price tag that’s appealing. I’ve broken it down below based on real‑world use and comparison.

Key features

SE Ranking will assist you with every essential SEO task: website auditing, keyword & competitive research, backlink analysis & monitoring, content creation and optimization, local SEO, and custom reporting.

At the core of SE Ranking is its Rank Tracking tool, which provides daily keyword updates for both desktop and mobile searches across any region. SE Ranking is one of the few platforms that continues to track the top 100 search results after Google updates. If you’ve been looking all over for alternatives to Ahrefs’ Rank Tracker, you can stop here. 

SE Ranking also caters to SEO agencies’ needs with features like unlimited reporting, a lead generation widget, and white label functionality (all currently unavailable in Ahrefs). SE Ranking’s platform has a massive keyword database (190 countries), with traffic estimates that mirror Google Search Console data with up to 100% accuracy.

SE Ranking also constantly fine-tunes its keyword search volume calculating mechanism and enhances other data processing algorithms. For instance, thanks to the update to the backlink database, SE Ranking can now calculate Domain Trust and Keyword Difficulty with sharper accuracy. This helps the platform prioritize better quality keyword opportunities than Ahrefs.

From my perspective, these features cover 90% of what most in‑house SEO teams or small agencies need. The missing 10% tends to be super‑deep backlink databases (Ahrefs’s is bigger) or ultra‑advanced enterprise integrations.

AI visibility features

What really sets SE Ranking apart for me right now is its AI Search Toolkit. As someone who’s constantly testing how AI search engines affect visibility, I find this toolkit incredibly forward-thinking. It doesn’t just look at Google, Bing and Yahoo anymore. It also tracks how your brand shows up across Google AI Overviews, AI Mode, ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity. That’s huge, because these platforms are starting to shape how users discover content.

The feature I use most is the AI Results Tracker. It tells me exactly where my pages appear in generative answers for my target keywords, and even benchmarks my AI visibility against competitors. I’ve also spent time in AI Mode and AIO Research, both of which let me analyze how often a domain is mentioned in AI-generated results, the specific pages that get cited, and how that visibility changes over time. For a bigger-picture view, the AI Visibility Research module gives me a snapshot of how often brands in my industry are mentioned across multiple AI systems.

And here’s where it gets even cooler: SE Ranking’s API now includes an MCP server that connects directly with assistants like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. I’ve hooked this up to my ChatGPT workspace, and now I can literally ask, “How visible is my domain in AI Overviews this week?”. After that, SE Ranking pulls data instantly, straight from its database. It’s seamless, and it saves me a ton of time on reporting and research.

Pricing

SE Ranking has three core plans:

• Essential ($65/month): Includes one manager seat, up to five projects, and all key SEO tools.
• Pro ($119/month): The most popular plan, offering historical data, Looker Studio integration, and AI visibility tracking.
• Business ($259/month): Designed for agencies, adding API access and advanced AI research capabilities.

Annual billing offers up to 20% savings (Ahrefs provides only 17%), and unlike Ahrefs, user seats are included rather than billed as add-ons. SE Ranking also offers a 14-day free trial  (something Ahrefs doesn’t provide at all).

My take: SE Ranking delivers excellent value for the price compared to many competitors, especially if your keyword list and project count are moderate. If you’re managing thousands of keywords across dozens of clients, the cost will naturally increase, but that’s true for most tools in this category.

Who it’s for

In my experience, SE Ranking fits perfectly for small and medium businesses that need a serious SEO toolkit in one clean, intuitive platform without enterprise pricing. For agencies and in-house SEO teams, the platform scales nicely. You can manage multiple projects, collaborate with teammates, and create white-label reports that clients actually understand.

If you like working smarter, as in automating reports, experimenting with AI data, and keeping your workflows streamlined, SE Ranking feels tailor-made.

User reviews

SE Ranking’s user ratings are consistently high, with an overall score of 4.8/5 on G2 and 4.7/5 on Capterra. Users praise the platform for its comprehensive feature set, data accuracy, and fair pricing.

One reviewer shared: “I have tried other services and can recommend anyone looking for a cost-effective tool which is very accurate.”

And here’s what people are saying about SE Ranking on Reddit:

Pros

✅ A wide feature set (30+ SEO tools) for much less cost than many competing platforms

✅ AI visibility tools supporting AI Overviews, AI Mode, Gemini, ChatGPT, and Perplexity

✅ Continuously expanding databases covering keywords, backlinks, and competitors

✅ AI-powered data processing algorithms for faster, smarter insights

✅ Agency-level functionality: multi-client management and white label reporting

✅ Integrations with Google Analytics, Search Console, Looker Studio, Google Business Profile, and more

✅ Responsive support and frequent feature updates

Cons

❌ Steeper learning curve for advanced features

❌ Extra fees for advanced agency tools

❌ Compared with Ahrefs, you might find fewer links, slower index refresh or less coverage for some niche domains

2. SpyFu

Launched in 2005 as a competitor ‘spy’ tool, SpyFu has progressively evolved into a comprehensive platform for keyword research and competitor analysis for SEO and PPC specialists. It’s a budget-conscious Ahrefs alternative with a user-friendly interface. 

Key features

SpyFu stands out for its advanced competitor analysis capabilities, especially its Ad History tool, which gives detailed insights into competitors’ PPC strategies. It’s particularly helpful for tracking competitors’ evolving strategies. Many users would call SpyFu a top contender when it comes to ranking the best competitor research tools. Another noteworthy SpyFu feature is Rival Flow AI, which helps you analyze and rewrite top-performing content for better SEO results.

Another advantage of SpyFu is its ability to show the top 100 results for tracking, making it a solid Ahrefs rank tracker alternative.

But in my opinion, SpyFu isn’t the greatest option for SEO-focused users. It lacks tools for technical and on-page optimization, and its backlink database is limited compared to Ahrefs’. While it does offer basic rank tracking and solid keyword research, it may not cover all your SEO needs.

AI visibility features

SpyGPT allows you to track how your brand appears in ChatGPT-generated responses across millions of queries. You can review both the prompts and answers your brand is mentioned in, uncover the questions people are asking, and identify opportunities to improve how ChatGPT references or recommends your brand.

Moreover, SpyFu offers its GPT plug-in, which lets you pull real keyword, ranking, and PPC data directly into your ChatGPT session.

While these features are promising, in my tests, they feel more “early stage” than mature. They provide valuable insights, but I wouldn’t call them a substitute for full-scale visibility tracking.

Pricing

Here’s a pricing breakdown of SpyFu, one of the more budget-friendly Ahrefs alternatives.

• Basic ($39/month): Includes 10,000 rows of search results, 6 months of historical data, domain-analysis reports, and a basic set of sales leads & contacts.
• Pro ($79/month): Adds unlimited search results/exports, tracking of up to 15,000 keywords weekly, 500 sales leads, API access, and historical data going back 10+ years.
• Team ($249/month): Includes unlimited search results, exports, projects, automated reports, and historical data, plus weekly monitoring of up to 50,000 keywords, and 5 user seats.

Annual billing offers up to 25% in savings. Unlike Ahrefs, SpyFu’s standard subscriptions come with its AI tools included.

From my experience, the value here is excellent. Compared to Ahrefs, SpyFu delivers key competitive-intelligence features at a significantly lower cost.

Who it’s for

I’d say SpyFu is well-suited to freelancers or small agencies on a budget that need solid competitor intelligence and PPC insights. It also fits brands or consultants looking for quick snapshots of how competitors are performing in organic and paid search, without the heavy lift or cost of enterprise tools.

User reviews

SpyFu, while not as widely recognized as Ahrefs, is praised highly by its dedicated user base. SpyFu has a 4.5 out of 5 stars on Capterra. It also has 4.6 out of 5-stars on G2. One reviewer shared, “Every year our team reviews similar applications and every year they demand to keep using SpyFu.”

Users often praise its affordability and strong competitive and keyword data.

Pros

✅ Access to 10+ years of historical data with the Pro and Team plans

✅ Extensive insights on competitors (both organic and paid strategies)

✅ Low price tag, which makes it a good option for startups and small businesses

✅ User-friendly interface that is easy to navigate

✅ 30-day money-back guarantee

Cons

❌ Its SEO features, including deep site audits and extensive backlink datasets, lag behind Ahrefs’

❌ Lacks on-page optimization tools

❌ Data accuracy and update frequency can vary. In my tests, some ranking and tracking results weren’t as fresh or granular

3. Semrush

Being one of the long-established SEO software suites, Semrush has a similarly rich set of features to Ahrefs. Still, these tools appeal to different people: users tend to choose Ahrefs because of its excellent backlink indexing feature, whereas Semrush is mostly valued for its extensive functionality.

Key features

Semrush offers one of the most comprehensive feature sets in the digital marketing space, with over 55 tools designed to cover every aspect of SEO and beyond.

It starts with a powerful keyword research toolkit that helps you uncover new search terms, assess ranking potential, and identify long-tail opportunities. The competitor analysis tools go even deeper, providing traffic estimates, keyword rankings, and historical data to track how rivals perform over time.

The Site Audit feature keeps your technical SEO in check by detecting crawl issues, Core Web Vitals problems, and indexing errors. On the content side, tools like the SEO Writing Assistant, Topic Research, and Content Distribution features help you plan, optimize, and promote high-performing content. For off-page SEO, Semrush offers Backlink Analytics, Backlink Audit, Backlink Gap, Bulk Backlink Analysis, Listing Management, and Link Building tools.

It also offers a powerful rank tracking tool, but for top 100 results tracking, Semrush data fluctuates over time and 100% accuracy is not guaranteed.

My take: You can rely on Semrush when you need a single, comprehensive platform that covers everything from technical SEO to content strategy.

AI visibility features

I’ve also been testing Semrush’s AI SEO toolkit, which shows how clients’ brands are represented across AI platforms like Google’s AI Mode, Gemini, ChatGPT, and Perplexity. 

The tool tracks your AI visibility, showing where your brand is mentioned, what type of content earns citations, and how that changes over time. It also provides actionable recommendations to make your content more likely to appear in AI-generated answers. You can track key prompts, audit your site for AI crawlability, and even compare your AI market share and sentiment against competitors.

Pricing

Semrush prices are steep. As of now, pricing for the most affordable plan starts at $139.95/month. 

• Pro ($139.95/month): Includes up to five projects, 500 tracked keywords, and 10,000 results per report.
• Guru ($249.95/month): Supports 15 projects, provides access to historical data, and unlocks content marketing tools.
• Business ($499.95/month): Allows 40 projects, offers advanced integrations, and expands keyword tracking and crawl limits.

Semrush’s pricing structure is largely comparable to Ahrefs, though their usage limits and included tools differ.

Opting for annual billing provides a 17% discount. A 7-day free trial is available to help you explore the platform before committing.

Each plan includes one user seat, with additional seats priced between $45 and $100 per month, depending on the plan tier. Semrush also offers an AI SEO add-on for $99 per month. All of this makes an already expensive subscription even more costly. It forces users on a tighter budget to look for Semrush alternatives.

Who it’s for

In my experience, Semrush is best suited for agencies and in-house teams that need an all-in-one platform to manage every part of their digital strategy. It’s a great fit for those who want to go beyond basic keyword research and dive into competitive intelligence, backlink monitoring, PPC insights, and content optimization, all in one place.

For solo freelancers or very small teams focused on just a few websites, Semrush might feel a bit heavy both in features and cost.

User reviews

Semrush holds its own with strong user ratings across major review platforms: 4.5 out of 5 stars on G2, 4.6 out of 5 on Capterra, and an 8.7 out of 10 on TrustRadius.

Many users on Reddit also praise Semrush for its comprehensive features and reliability. 

One reviewer even noted, “It’s the only tool I’ve stayed with throughout all the phases of my career from corporate roles to marketing agency founder.”

Both Ahrefs and Semrush are appreciated for being reliable datasets, though many users still question their data accuracy. Nonetheless, Semrush has plenty of loyal advocates.

However, it’s worth noting that a significant number of reviews mention the platform’s steep learning curve and lack of user-friendliness. Many users find the interface complex and difficult to navigate. Unsurprisingly, Ahrefs tends to outperform Semrush in this area, earning an 8.8 rating versus Semrush’s 8.3 on G2.

Pros

✅ Advanced SEO capabilities

✅ Large dataset of keywords and backlinks

✅ Powerful Social Media Toolkit

✅ Effective PPC advertising tools

Cons

❌ Data accuracy issues 

❌ Steep learning curve for navigation

❌ Expensive pricing plans

❌ Additional payment for extra users

4. Majestic

Established in 2004, Majestic has since become a powerful tool for backlink analysis. Its database spans over 21.7 trillion URLs from 4.5 trillion crawled pages, providing a highly comprehensive resource with records dating back to 2006.

Key features

Majestic is known for being a backlink checker tool used primarily to identify referring domains, track new and removed backlinks, and detect broken backlinks. Unique metrics like Trust Flow and Citation Flow are crucial to Majestic’s offering. Trust Flow measures link quality, while Citation Flow focuses on link quantity. Another key feature is the Link Graph, a visual map of your backlink profile. It’s created by analyzing links from the Fresh Index to show how sites connect and interact. It helps identify valuable backlinks and flag potential issues like spammy links from specific networks. So, for link building alone, Majestic is definitely a solid alternative to Ahrefs.

The Keyword Checker lets users search Majestic’s database for specific keywords, providing a search volume metric and other key details. The Keyword Generator allows users to enter a keyword along with a subdomain or root domain to generate top keyword suggestions for SEO campaigns.

Note that Majestic lacks tools for AI visibility, technical SEO, rank tracking, and content creation.

In my opinion, although it’s not an all-in-one SEO solution, Majestic is a strong alternative to Ahrefs’ Backlinks Report in Site Explorer.

Pricing

Majestic offers three pricing tiers:

• Lite ($49.99/month): Includes limited access to the site explorer, 1 million analysis units, and one user seat.
• Pro ($99.99/month): Offers 20 million analysis units, access to historical data, and raw data export.
• Business ($399.99/month): Includes 100 million analysis units, full API access, and 5 user seats, allowing for team collaboration.

All plans include access to Majestic’s Trust Flow and Citation Flow metrics, which are crucial to evaluating link quality and relevance.

Majestic offers a 17% discount off of annual subscriptions, providing even more value for long-term users.

Who it’s for

Majestic is a fantastic tool for anyone serious about backlink analysis and link building. It gives you the deep insights you need around link quality and how your competitors are building their backlink profiles. For content marketers, it’s a great way to find opportunities to earn high-quality backlinks.

User reviews

Although Majestic isn’t as well-known as Ahrefs, it still receives solid user feedback. On platforms like G2, it has an average rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars, and on Capterra, it scores 4.4 out of 5 stars. 

Common drawbacks mentioned by users include a less intuitive interface and its focus primarily on backlink-related features. Some users also mentioned that the interface can be slow to load.

Pros

✅ Huge backlink index (21.7 trillion URLs from 4.5 trillion crawled pages)

✅ The historic index provides a long-term view of data, going back to 2006

✅ Advanced backlink analysis features

✅ Unique metrics like Trust and Citation Flow

✅ Link Graph feature providing a visual map of the backlinks in the network 

Cons

❌ Lacks a free trial option

❌ The cost of some plans may not justify the value

❌ Outdated interface that may be challenging to navigate

❌ Does not offer a comprehensive suite of SEO tools

❌ Lacks AI visibility tools

5. Similarweb

If you’re looking for an Ahrefs alternative that goes beyond traditional SEO metrics, Similarweb is worth a look. Similarweb is one of the most powerful digital intelligence platforms available, offering visibility into how users search, browse, and interact across industries.

Key features

What impressed me most was the Keyword Research tool. It draws from a massive database of over five billion keywords, updated daily, and spans Google, YouTube, and Amazon. You can analyze how competitors perform, uncover keyword gaps, and evaluate opportunities using advanced metrics like search intent, zero-click rates, and keyword difficulty.

For performance monitoring, the Rank Tracker delivers daily updates on keyword positions, SERP features, and competitor rankings. The tool displays the top 100 results for a keyword, which is an undeniable advantage. The Backlink Analytics tool is equally robust, drawing from a database of 360 trillion links, refreshed daily. Lastly, its Site Audit feature dives into over 300 performance and SEO factors, flagging issues with indexability, crawlability, and user experience, while offering prioritized recommendations to help you fix them quickly.

Overall, Similarweb feels like a blend of SEO analytics and strategic market intelligence. It’s a tool that not only shows you your performance in search but reveals where your audience is coming from and how you compare to the broader market.

AI visibility features

While Similarweb isn’t an AI-first SEO tool, it’s starting to integrate AI-driven insights into its reporting offerings.

One of the most interesting is AI Brand Visibility, which tracks how often your brand appears in AI-generated answers across AI platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity. You can benchmark your presence against up to 30 competitors to get a clear sense of how your brand performs in this new AI-driven search landscape.

Meanwhile, the AI Traffic tool shows you how much of your website traffic originates from AI assistants, which queries drive that traffic, and how your performance compares to competitors.

Pricing

Pricing is where Similarweb clearly positions itself as an enterprise-level platform.

• Competitive Intelligence ($199/month): Includes 1 user, 3 months of historical data, and insights into traffic and engagement. SEO tools are not included at this level.
• Competitive Intel & SEO ($399/month): Unlocks full SEO functionality, including rank tracking, technical site audits, and backlink analytics.
• Competitive Intel, SEO & Ads ($649/month): Adds 6 months of historical data and provides ad insights.

Note that Similarweb’s AI visibility features are available only in its Enterprise plans, with custom pricing.

All plans come with a 7-day free trial, allowing users to explore the platform before committing.

Who it’s for

I’d say that Similarweb is best suited to marketing teams, digital strategists, and agencies that need a big-picture view of their online performance (not just SEO metrics). It’s perfect for companies that operate across multiple channels or countries and want to understand where their traffic truly comes from and how they compare to competitors.

If your work revolves around backlinks or keyword rankings, Ahrefs might still serve you better. But if you’re focused on market research, traffic share, and competitive intelligence, Similarweb delivers exceptional value.

User reviews

Similarweb holds strong ratings, averaging around 4.5 on G2 and 4.6 on Capterra. Users often praise its accurate traffic estimates, clean dashboards, and competitor benchmarking features.

But I’ve also seen mixed feedback about its pricing transparency and data precision for smaller sites. Results tend to be most reliable for high-traffic domains.

Reddit users frequently mention that it’s best for gauging market positioning.

Pros

✅ Comprehensive market and traffic intelligence across multiple digital channels

✅ Excellent for competitor benchmarking and audience analysis

✅ Easy-to-understand data visualizations and dashboards

Cons

❌ Expensive, especially for smaller teams or solo marketers

❌ Some data estimates can be less reliable for niche or low-traffic sites

❌ Not as focused on backlink or keyword rank tracking as Ahrefs

❌ Many advanced features are locked behind custom or enterprise plans

6. Search Atlas

Launched in 2022, Search Atlas is an AI-powered SEO platform that combines local SEO, content optimization, technical audits, and link building into one system. Even though it’s relatively new, it’s already gaining traction with SEO specialists.

Key features

From my experience, the platform’s strength lies in its AI automation. OTTO SEO quickly handles technical fixes, content tweaks, backlinks, and Google Business Profile updates.

Content Genius v3 is another highlight. I was genuinely impressed watching it generate a publication-ready article in under 15 minutes, complete with semantic SEO grading. It doesn’t replace a human writer, but it’s a huge time-saver for brainstorming and first drafts.

Other useful features I’ve found include the Site Auditor & On-Page Audit, which gives clear “how-to-fix” guidance, and its Link Building Software, which streamlines prospect discovery and outreach with a massive backlink database. And for agencies, the platform’s white label reporting is a lifesaver.

AI visibility features

Search Atlas LLM Visibility is a powerful tool for monitoring and improving brand presence in AI-generated search results across platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity. Unlike traditional SEO tools, it provides clear insights into brand representation in AI-driven content.

The platform tracks visibility across multiple AI models, analyzes sentiment in AI-generated responses, and benchmarks your share of voice against competitors. It also identifies the source documents influencing AI answers, offering practical insights to help you optimize your content and maintain a strong presence in the evolving AI search landscape.

Another tool, the Quest Tool, helps you see how ChatGPT generates answers. It uncovers the sources used and what content influences those results. This makes it easier for you to understand how your brand appears in AI-generated answers and how to improve its visibility.

Pricing

Compared to Ahrefs, Search Atlas offers a more AI-focused SEO approach, and at a lower starting price. It includes advanced features like ChatGPT visibility and automated SEO tasks, even in mid-tier plans:

• Starter ($99/month): Includes 1 OTTO SEO project, 10 OTTO Google Ads campaigns, unlimited publishing, 3 GBP projects, 5 GSC projects, and 2 user seats.
• Growth ($199/month): Adds 2 OTTO SEO projects, 10 GBP projects, 15 GSC projects, 3 seats, and advanced features like QUEST for ChatGPT Visibility, OTTO Crawler Intelligence, real-time monitoring, and outreach tools.
• Pro ($399/month): Expands to 4 OTTO SEO projects, 25 GBP projects, unlimited GSC projects, and 5 seats, with the same advanced features as Growth.

Every plan comes with a 7-day free trial, giving you full access to all features.

Who it’s for

Search Atlas is ideal for agencies, SEO specialists, and businesses managing multiple sites. Personally, I’ve found it to be most useful when juggling multiple clients. It scales SEO tasks without the need for extra hands. Smaller teams might feel a bit overwhelmed at first, but once you get used to the interface, it’s surprisingly intuitive for managing complex workflows.

User reviews

Search Atlas has earned impressive user ratings, with 4.7 stars on G2 and 4.8 on Capterra.

On Reddit, users often praise its automation capabilities for technical SEO, specifically its OTTO tool, which handles complex tasks with minimal effort. Many reviewers also note that the platform is easy to use and backed by responsive, helpful customer support.

However, some users mention that the platform can be buggy at times and doesn’t offer strong mobile accessibility.

Pros

✅ Comprehensive suite of SEO tools

✅ AI-driven automation for content and technical SEO

✅ Integration with Google Search Console and Google Business Profile

✅ White-label options for agencies

Cons

❌ Mixed user experiences with customer support

❌ Some users have reported technical issues that affect site performance

❌ Pricing may be a consideration for smaller businesses

7. Moz Pro

While Moz has powerful functionality under its belt, many SEOs say its glory days are over. The interface looks outdated and new feature releases have become a rare occasion. 

However, with a loyal community, loads of useful educational materials, and all the core SEO tools, it’s still a big name in the SEO industry.

Key features

Moz Pro offers every essential SEO tool, from keyword research and rank tracking to website audits and even custom reporting. Reporting features are not standard in the SEO suites, so if you’re on the hunt for the best SEO report tool for keeping your clients in the loop, your options will be quite limited here.

Moz Pro’s keyword database is not that big compared to some other tools, but its backlink database (with 40.7 trillion links in its index) exceeds that of Ahrefs. Still, many users prefer Ahrefs’ data due to its highly active crawler. 

Finally, many users admit that Moz Pro’s tech auditing capabilities are rather basic. Many users tend to use other, more advanced website audit tools instead.

AI visibility features

Moz Pro has recently entered the AI visibility space with its AI Overviews Tracking tool. This feature tracks how often your target keywords appear in Google’s AI Overviews and whether your site is featured in those summaries. It also lets you benchmark competitor visibility in AIOs.

However, unlike Ahrefs, Moz Pro’s AI tracking is limited to Google’s ecosystem and doesn’t extend to platforms like ChatGPT or Perplexity. I think anyone seeking broader AI visibility may need to consider additional tools.

Pricing

Moz Pro’s pricing is tiered to suit different usage levels:

• Starter ($49/month): One user, one tracked site, 50 keywords to monitor, and a set of essential SEO tools.
• Standard ($99/month): One user, three tracked sites, 300 keywords to monitor, and basic site crawls.
• Medium ($179/month): Two users, ten tracked sites, 1,500 keywords to monitor, and expanded crawl limits.
• Large ($299/month): Three users, 25 tracked sites, 3,000 keywords to monitor, and advanced reporting.

AI Overviews by Keyword is included even in the Starter plan, whereas with Ahrefs, AI visibility tools start at $199/month.

All plans come with a 7-day free trial.

Who it’s for 

Moz Pro is perfect for small to mid-sized businesses that want easy-to-use SEO tools. It’s great for improving on-page SEO and building links, especially if you don’t need advanced AI features or huge data sets.

User reviews

While Moz Pro has received plenty of user reviews over the years, it doesn’t top the charts compared to some other Ahrefs alternatives. On G2, it scores 4.3 out of 5 stars. On Gartner, it’s rated 3.7 out of 5 stars. TrustRadius gives it a score of 7.8 out of 10. 

Users consistently praise Moz Pro for its educational content and helpful customer support. On the downside, some note that it can feel a bit dated compared to competitors like Ahrefs.

Reddit feedback is mixed. Some users say the platform meets their SEO needs, while others feel it’s too outdated to justify the cost. My own testing reflected these patterns: the workflow was smooth, but I did encounter limits on keywords and data depth. This made me question its value at higher tiers.

Pros

✅ Comprehensive set of SEO tools

✅ Large database of keywords, indexed links, and analyzed SERPs

✅ AI-powered search intent analysis and domain overview

✅ AI Overviews feature included in every plan

✅ MozBar SEO Chrome extension

Cons

❌ Complex navigation structure

❌ Generous data limits come at an additional cost

❌ Only weekly ranking updates are available, with no option for daily updates at an additional cost

8. Mangools

If both Ahrefs and Semrush are too complex and costly for your needs, I have an affordable alternative for you. Mangools is tailored primarily to small businesses, evidenced by its friendlier pricing structure. 

Key features

From my experience, Mangools covers all the essential SEO bases. It includes SERPChecker for SERP analysis, SERPWatcher for rank tracking (monitoring the top 30 results daily and the top 100 results weekly), LinkMiner for backlink research (pulling off-page SEO data from Moz and Majestic), and SiteProfiler for domain SEO metrics and insights.

One of my favorite tools in the suite is KWFinder. It’s intuitive and great for uncovering hidden keyword opportunities. Mangools is consistently listed among the best keyword research tools, and with its database of over 2.5 billion related keywords, it stands out as a strong, budget-friendly alternative to Ahrefs’ Keywords Explorer.

That said, the platform does have some limitations. Even the top Agency plan includes only about 1,200 keyword lookups per day, and the database size can feel modest compared to Ahrefs. Also, Mangools doesn’t currently offer tools for crawl analysis, site speed, or technical audits, which might be a dealbreaker if you’re after a more comprehensive, all-in-one SEO platform.

AI visibility features

Mangools AI Search Watcher is a tool designed to evaluate your brand’s visibility and performance across AI-powered search engines, including ChatGPT, Claude, Grok, Gemini, Mistral AI, and Llama. It lets you explore how often your brand or your competitors’ brands appear in AI-generated answers.

You can also view your brand’s average position when it’s featured in the top 20 results. Plus, its AI Search Score reflects overall visibility and ranking performance across supported models, weighted by each model’s market share.

Mangools also offers a free, lighter version of this tool: the AI Search Grader, which you can try directly on their website.

Pricing

When it comes to pricing, Mangools stands out as a much more affordable option compared to Ahrefs. Mangools currently offers three main plans:

• Basic ($30.50/month): Tracks up to 200 keywords, retrieves 100K backlinks, and performs 100 keyword searches per day.
• Premium ($40.50/month): Includes 3 extra user seats, 700 tracked keywords, 500K backlinks, and 500 keyword searches per day.
• Agency ($70.50/month): Includes 5 extra user seats, 1,500 tracked keywords, 1.2M backlinks, and 1,200 keyword searches per day.

A 35% discount is available with annual billing.

The AI Search Watcher is included in every plan (even the most affordable one) which is a significant advantage compared to Ahrefs’ costly add-ons.

Who it’s for

From my experience, Mangools is perfect for bloggers, small business owners, and freelance marketers who want solid SEO insights without overpaying or getting lost in complexity. It’s simple, intuitive, and gives you all the essentials: keyword research, rank tracking, and backlink data.

If you’re running an agency or managing several sites, it’s still powerful enough to handle everyday SEO tasks without blowing your budget. But if you need deep technical audits, massive data sets, or enterprise-level reporting, you’ll eventually outgrow it.

User reviews

While Mangools is not as popular as Ahrefs, it doesn’t lag behind in quality. It boasts a 4.7/5 star rating on G2 and a 4.8/5 on Capterra. Its user interface and customer service elements continue to receive a good chunk of praise from its users.

Its “comprehensive range of features and user-friendly interface truly set it apart” according to most user comments about Mangools. Users often laud it for its simplicity and accessibility for beginners. 

Mangools stands at a remarkable 9.7 out of 10 for its ease of use on the G2 platform. 

Pros

✅ Five basic SEO tools in one package

✅ AI Search tool included in every subscription plan

✅ SEO extension for quick website analysis 

✅ Affordable pricing that makes it a great fit for freelancers and SEO newbies

✅ User-friendly interface with data presented in an easy-to-understand format

✅ 48-hour money-back guarantee

Cons

❌ A narrow range of SEO capabilities (e.g., lacking features for technical SEO audits, content optimization, local marketing strategies, etc.)

❌ Limited internal data with dependence on external sources (e.g., Moz, Majestic)

9. BuzzSumo

I believe BuzzSumo is one of the best Ahrefs alternatives for content creation. It’s well known for its powerful content analysis capabilities. Let’s take a closer look.

Key features

BuzzSumo allows you to discover trending topics, see which content is performing best across the web, and track engagement on social media. One of its strengths is influencer identification, helping you find the right people to amplify your message and reach a wider audience. You can also monitor competitors’ content strategies and set up alerts to see what they’re publishing and get insights to refine your own approach. 

Additionally, BuzzSumo offers backlink analysis, showing which links are driving traffic to top-performing content so you can improve your own link-building strategy. That said, if you’re after the most extensive backlink database, Ahrefs still takes the lead. BuzzSumo’s backlinks are more focused on content popularity and social shares rather than a full SEO picture.

Moreover, BuzzSumo doesn’t provide in-depth keyword research, technical SEO audits, or comprehensive competitor analysis at an SEO level. It also lacks AI-driven visibility tools, so if those are critical to your workflow, you might need to combine it with another tool. 

As for my SEO work processes, there are not enough tools. 

Pricing

BuzzSumo offers a range of plans designed to meet different needs. Here’s a breakdown:

• Content Creation ($199/month): Includes 1 user, unlimited searches, two custom alerts, and access to tools like the Content Analyzer and Trending Feeds.
• PR & Comms ($299/month): Builds on the Content Creation plan by adding media outreach, coverage reports, and Slack integration. Includes 5 users, unlimited searches, and 5 alerts.
• Suite ($499/month): Supports 10 users and 10 alerts, with unlimited searches and additional features like the YouTube Analyzer and advanced Chrome extension.
• Enterprise ($999/month): Designed for large teams, with up to 30 users, 50 alerts, unlimited searches, and advanced features such as RSS feed sync and early access to new tools.

Paying annually saves you 20%, but keep in mind that BuzzSumo plans are more expensive than Ahrefs.

Who it’s for

BuzzSumo is perfect for anyone who creates content with a purpose. If you’re a content marketer or SEO specialist looking to plan posts that genuinely engage readers and earn backlinks, this tool gives you insights that help you make smarter decisions. Teams focused on influencer marketing can easily identify the right people to amplify their content, while PR professionals can keep an eye on competitors and monitor brand mentions in real time.

User reviews

BuzzSumo holds a 4.5-star rating on both G2 and Capterra. 

Users praise BuzzSumo’s intuitive interface and actionable insights. Many love how easy it is to track trends and find influencers. The main complaint? Price. It can feel steep for smaller teams. But for those who rely on content strategy, most agree it’s worth the investment.

Pros

✅ Deep insights into what content works

✅ Easy-to-use interface

✅ Powerful influencer discovery

✅ Detailed social media analytics

✅ AI tools for trend prediction and content optimization

Cons

❌ On the pricey side for small teams

❌ Limited SEO features compared to Ahrefs

❌ No site audit or technical SEO tools

10. Surfer SEO

Surfer SEO is another alternative to Ahrefs that helps you create and optimize content. And believe me, it’s a more complete solution than BuzzSumo. It offers a range of features designed to enhance on-page optimization and content strategy.

Key features

You can start with deep keyword research and topical maps that show exactly what your audience cares about. The tool turns those insights into detailed briefs that writers can easily follow. Then, you can work directly in Surfer’s Editor, where optimization guidance updates in real time. 

Once the content is published, Surfer tracks keyword positions, AI citations, and visibility gaps. It flags which pages to refresh, what to link, and where to focus your next efforts.

Surfer SEO also provides actionable insights for improving existing content.

The SERP Analyzer lets you dive into search engine results pages to understand what makes competitors rank and identify opportunities to outperform them. 

I’ve found Surfer SEO to be one of the most practical tools for bridging creativity and data. It helps you write with purpose, ensuring your content performs well. And yes, it’s a solid Ahrefs Content Explorer alternative.

AI visibility features

AI Tracker monitors your content’s visibility across various AI platforms, including ChatGPT, Google’s AI Overviews, AI Mode, and Perplexity. It tracks how often your content is referenced in AI-generated responses, helping you understand and improve your content’s presence in AI-driven search results.

The tracker provides metrics such as mention rate, visibility score, and average position, offering a clear view of your presence within AI-driven search results. You can also see which domains are being cited by AI tools, compare performance with competitors, and identify opportunities to strengthen your visibility.

For me, this tool turned out to be quite easy to use and provided a lot of valuable insights.

Pricing

Surfer SEO offers several pricing plans:

• Essential ($99/month): Includes access to the Content Editor & Audit and Keyword Research, along with 100 page audits per month and 30 articles.
• Scale ($219/month): Offers increased limits, including 4 user seats, 100 articles, 500 page audits per month, along with additional features like SERP Analyzer and AI Tracker.
• Enterprise (Custom pricing): Includes unlimited user seats, API, white label, Rank Tracker, and dedicated support.

By purchasing an annual subscription, you can save 20%, though these tools are still on the pricey side. Similar to Ahrefs, Surfer SEO doesn’t currently offer a free trial.

One thing I noticed is that while Ahrefs includes its Rank Tracker even in the cheapest plan, Surfer SEO reserves this feature for its most expensive tier. It’s a bit of a downside if, like me, you rely heavily on tracking keyword performance.

Who it’s for

Surfer SEO is perfect for anyone who takes content seriously and wants to see measurable results in search rankings. If you’re a content marketer, it helps you craft articles that are not only well-written but also strategically optimized to outperform competitors. 

SEO agencies will appreciate the ability to manage multiple client websites with precision. Basically, if your work revolves around creating content that needs to rank and convert, Surfer SEO provides all the insights and tools you’ll need to make that happen.

User reviews

​​Surfer SEO has one of the highest ratings among all Ahrefs alternatives, with a 4.8 out of 5 on G2 and 4.9 on Capterra.

Users praise Surfer SEO for its comprehensive content tools and ease of use. Many highlight how effective the Content Editor and SERP Analyzer are in improving their website’s SEO performance.

However, some users have mentioned that the platform can be quite expensive.

Pros

✅ Intuitive interface that’s easy to navigate

✅ Real-time recommendations in the Content Editor help create SEO-friendly content

✅ SERP Analyzer provides actionable insights from top-ranking pages

✅ Solid AI Tracker

Cons

❌ Can be expensive, especially for freelancers or small teams

❌ Some key features are restricted to higher-tier plans

❌ Keyword research isn’t as deep as Ahrefs

Want a free alternative to Ahrefs? Here are the best options

Ahrefs is powerful, but it can be tough on your budget. Based on my experience, these free alternatives cover the essentials for ranking, auditing, and keyword research.

Google Tools

When it comes to free SEO tools, nothing beats the reliability and accuracy of Google’s own toolkit. While it doesn’t offer the same depth of data as Ahrefs, combining Google Search Console and Google Keyword Planner gives you powerful, firsthand insights straight from the source; Google itself.

Google Search Console is the foundation of any solid SEO strategy. It helps you monitor website performance, identify indexing issues, analyze search queries, and track clicks, impressions, and rankings for your target keywords. I rely on it daily to catch crawl errors, spot sudden ranking drops, and see which pages are getting the most attention from searchers.

Meanwhile, Google Keyword Planner is an essential tool for keyword research. It provides accurate search volume data, CPC estimates, and keyword variations directly from Google Ads. While it’s designed for advertisers, SEOs can easily use it to discover keyword opportunities and plan content around real search demand.

These tools might not replace Ahrefs’ all-in-one functionality or backlink insights, but they’re indispensable for anyone starting out or managing SEO on a budget.

My take: Google Search Console and Keyword Planner should always be part of your SEO toolkit. They may not have all of Ahrefs’ bells and whistles, but when it comes to accurate, first-party SEO data, nothing comes closer.

​​Screaming Frog

If you’re focused on technical SEO and site health, Screaming Frog is hands down one of the best free alternatives to Ahrefs. This desktop-based crawler is a favorite among SEOs for one simple reason, it’s fast, detailed, and efficient at uncovering technical issues.

Once installed, Screaming Frog scans your website just like a search engine bot would, collecting data on everything from broken links and redirects to duplicate content, missing tags, and crawl errors. It’s perfect for identifying optimization opportunities that even the most expensive cloud tools overlook. In my own SEO workflow, I often use Screaming Frog before running audits in SE Ranking. It gives me a clean, detailed picture of what’s really happening under the hood.

The interface isn’t flashy, but it’s practical and built for professionals. You can filter and export massive datasets, and even analyze XML sitemaps. That said, it’s not the best tool for keyword research, backlink analysis, or content optimization, because its main focus is technical SEO.

The best part? Screaming Frog offers a free version that crawls up to 500 URLs, which is more than enough for small websites or quick audits. If you need unlimited crawling, scheduling, and advanced integrations, the paid license costs just $279 per year. That’s still far cheaper than Ahrefs.

My take: Screaming Frog isn’t a full Ahrefs replacement, but when it comes to finding crawl errors, fixing site structure, and ensuring your website is search engine-ready, it’s a great Ahrefs’ Site Audit tool alternative.

SEO PowerSuite

If you’re looking for a solid Ahrefs alternative that won’t cost you a cent, SEO PowerSuite deserves a serious look. It’s an all-in-one desktop SEO toolkit that consistently ranks among G2’s (4.5/5), TrustRadius (9.9/10) and Capterra (4.5/5) leaders in SEO software. While most SEO tools run entirely in the cloud, SEO PowerSuite gives you powerful software you install locally.

Inside, you’ll find four main tools: Rank Tracker for keyword tracking, Website Auditor for technical SEO and site health, SEO SpyGlass for backlink analysis, and LinkAssistant for managing link-building campaigns. It also offers helpful content optimization tools, white label reporting, and Google Analytics integration, features that many free tools don’t provide.

However, it does fall short in some areas. Its data analysis and actionable recommendations aren’t as deep or intuitive as what you’d find in Ahrefs or SE Ranking. And while it’s powerful, the interface can feel a bit old-school. It also lacks modern AI visibility features, like tracking mentions in ChatGPT or AI Overviews.

Still, for something that’s free, it’s impressively capable. The forever-free version gives you the ability to crawl and audit up to 500 URLs, and track over 1,100 backlinks (enough to handle most small projects). You’ll miss out on scheduled reports, project saving, and exports, but that’s expected at this price point. If you decide to upgrade, annual plans start at $349 and go up to $899, which is still far cheaper than Ahrefs.

My take: SEO PowerSuite is a fantastic option if you want a powerful, free desktop SEO toolkit without monthly fees. It’s not as sleek or AI-driven as newer platforms, but it’s reliable, feature-rich, and gets the job done.

For competitor and PPC analysis, I’d use SpyFu, while Semrush and Similarweb are better suited for large teams needing enterprise-level marketing and traffic data.

What’s the best Ahrefs alternative?

After testing them all, SE Ranking offers the best mix of power, usability, and price. It’s the closest you’ll get to Ahrefs without draining your budget. SE Ranking delivers everything from keyword research and rank tracking to backlink monitoring and AI visibility insights.

If backlinks are your main focus, Majestic and Moz remain solid choices. Majestic’s link index is impressive, while Moz is intuitive and beginner-friendly.

When it comes to content optimization, Surfer SEO and BuzzSumo shine. Surfer helps you fine-tune content to rank and BuzzSumo uncovers trending topics.

Search Atlas is best for automating SEO processes.

For technical SEO, nothing beats Screaming Frog for quick crawls or SEO PowerSuite for full-scale audits. If you’re just starting out, Mangools is simple yet effective. And of course, you should always keep Google Search Console and Keyword Planner in your SEO toolbox. They’re absolute essentials.

FAQs

Written by

Anastasia Kotsiubynska

Anastasia leads SEO team at SE Ranking. She has passion for online marketing, analytics, and the tech side of SEO. With extensive experience in content marketing, website technical (and on-page) optimization, and link building, she is well-versed in both on-page and off-page tasks. Her background in Google Ads provides her with a deep understanding of how SEO and PPC work together. Beyond her professional pursuits, Anastasia loves language learning and is currently learning German, which is a never-ending task. She is also an avid traveler and has been to many countries across Europe, with plans to visit Asia in the near future.